Crusade Against the Moon

Chapter Seven : The Living Dead

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor the characters from the show.

Edited: Jan 18, 2017 (edit and deleted a whole page worth)

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Kagome fell roughly through the dead, lightning illuminating their rotting flesh. With each flash, she saw their broken noses, missing teeth, and splotchy ripping skin. She hit the ground hard, and their voices only got louder. It was all she could see, all she could hear.

They were closing in.

All at once, they bent over her, reaching down with their cracked nails. Struggling, she tried to push them away, but there were too many. All she could see were bones, armored legs, hungry faces, and rotting arms rushing down at her. The smell was revolting. Claustrophobia choked her. Their bodies pressed down on her arms. Their faces drawing nearer and nearer.

Lightning flashed. Eye sockets, maggots, death.

She covered her face and screamed.

The last thing Inuyasha saw were Kagome's stricken eyes, then her hands disappearing in the darkness. Just like that, she vanished. He would have blamed it on the lack of light in the cave, but he could see the walls, the floors, and the slight glow from the entrance - and Kagome was still gone. Her body, her scent, everything.

Cursing, he brought his arm back. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he reacted in the only way he knew how. With a growl, he hurled it through the air and called out her name.

There was nothing but air, but his fist slammed against something anyway, jarring the joints of his wrist. The contact sparked gold and spread like cracked glass before vanishing. Then darkness.

Recognizing the object immediately, Inuyasha clenched his jaw and reached for his sword, quickly transforming it into a blood red fang. 'A fuckin' barrier'. He was pissed, so pissed because he hadn't detected it.

Not wasting another moment, he swung his mighty sword and hollered, "Windscar!" Golden arches flew through the air and raked down the surface of the barrier, breaking the illusion of the "empty" cave. In a matter of seconds, the grotesque smell of decay hit him, but Kagome's scream overrode his disgust, and his eyes searching frantically for her.

She had fallen right in front of him, and all he could see were her soiled shoes kicking out from the mass of dead Samurai. He furrowed his brow and raised his sword again, using Tessaiga to attack the horde straight on. "Hold on, Kagome!"

Slicing through them, he expected their bodies to disintegrate, but instead, their top portions slid off their lower, and with gurgling groans, they fell towards her. He watched in horror as he realized he just made a bad situation much, much worse. He reacted on instinct, and before the bodies could hit her, he reached out for her ankle to pull her away.

On the floor, Kagome's eyes went wide at hearing Inuyasha's voice. She saw Tessaiga cut through the creatures. Their disconnected bodies rushed down towards her, gnashing teeth, yellow eyes, and clawing hands intent on eating her alive. This just couldn't be happening. There was no way. She knew the Feudal Era was littered with demons, but the living dead?

A torso landed on her hip. Then a Samurai's arm grabbed her body and pushed his face into her stomach. Kagome watched, almost frozen, as it opened its dislocated jaw to bite her, maggots spilling out of its mouth. Then another Samurai fell on her legs, an eye popping out of its socket and rolling beside her. Suddenly, something grabbed her ankle. She shrieked and tried to kick the hand away. It was all happening so fast.

Heart thundering in her ears, she extended an arm to defend herself. The hand on her ankle pulled, and she hissed as the cave floor moved roughly against her back. Her hair dragged behind her as she pushed the eager faces from her stomach. Her fingers wrapped around the Samurai helmets, and she yelled "get, off of me!"

Then, a tingling sensation swept through her body, goosebumps prickled her skin. A heat traveled from deep inside her, up her shoulder and through her arm. Her wide eyes watched as a familiar glow emanated from her hand, lighting the immediate area in a soft glow that burned.

She felt the grip at her ankle spasm, but it only got tighter and pulled harder. The telltale pricks of claws at the edges of her skin comforted her as she watched the grotesque faces ignite and incinerate. Each one that passed by her purified and turned to ash, the remains dispersing like fireworks into the cave air.

Kagome gathered her quivering hands to her chest and endured the ground scraping her back until she finally saw Inuyasha, his hair draping messily down his face with an intense and worried expression. One knee bent, Inuyasha quickly gathered her in his arms and held her close.

Body trembling from adrenaline, she managed to wrap a loose arm around him and grabbed his haori with the other. She inhaled his scent deeply, trying with everything she had to get rid of the other smells that stuck to her skin. She felt him do the same, his nose pressed firmly against her neck.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, her hair sticking messily to his lip.

Kagome nodded beneath him, grateful for his warmth, his protection. "Thank you".

Inuyasha was absolutely livid. Reaching down, he grabbed the sword he'd abandoned in his haste and looked up over Kagome's tousled hair, his eyes glowed with a murderous intent. He wanted to tear the Samurai apart, limb from limb... but he couldn't kill them. All he seemed to be able to do was there them apart. His hold on Tessaiga tightened as he realized that only Kagome could deal the final blow.

The remaining walkers advanced through the smoke, undeterred by the ones that had been purified before them. Their jerky movements disturbed him, and his ears swiveled as he tried to pin point their exact locations. They emerged through the ashes like an army in the dark, but none bothered to reach for their katanas. Inuyasha had never seen anything like them.

Still kneeling with Kagome against him, a determined resolve burst through him, and he cut the air in a giant arc with a growl reverberating through his clenched teeth. The creatures' legs stopped moving, the impact of his blow hitting them in the middle and momentarily freezing them until their top halves fell to the ground. Their skin ripped on impact, Inuyasha scowled. "I'll get you out of here, Kagome."

"I know you will," Kagome said kindly, grimacing as he adjusted his hold on her to put his sword away. Her back burned, tender flesh rubbed raw by the cave's rocky ground. Inuyasha wrapped an arm under her knees, but she quickly put a palm to his chest, stopping his movements briefly. "We can't leave them," she said.

"The hell we can't." He got up and jumped back to the entrance, watching as the distance between them and struggling creatures grew. He could feel the cool mist hit the sides of his face, it felt good, and smelled better.

"Inuyasha," Kagome pleaded, "if we leave, they'll attack the village." She tugged his haori in hopes to show him the gravity of the situation. "I have to take care of this." She didn't know if these walkers were the same as the one's told back home, but she couldn't risk it, and their actions spoke volumes of the chaos they could bring.

Inuyasha kept a steadfast glare to the other end of the cave, watching as the undead slowly advanced. Their bottom halves were useless once they'd been dismembered, so they used what was left of their hands and arms to move. Some had neither, so they just lay in place, thrashing about and tossing their heads around, snapping at the air. Some of their helmets rolled of, revealing wisps of hair and balding heads. Rotting skin ripped off their faces. Moans and groans continued to echo throughout the cave.

"Inuyasha."

"Use your barrier," he said, quickly cutting her off.

Watching him with tired eyes, she noticed a spot on his jaw dip as he clenched his teeth. This was really bothering him. "Okay," she compromised. They could always come back the next day, when she was well rested and full of energy. She could finish this tomorrow.

He set her on her feet carefully. "I'm not feeling very well," she admitted as the adrenaline wore off. Her body was aching and sore all over. The fatigue of a full day's trip had finally caught up to her, and the smell in the cave still made her incredibly nauseous, "but I'll do my best."

Inuyasha didn't skip a beat, "I know you will." He squeezed her arms lightly.

She thanked him with a fatigued smile, then turned to the cave wall near the entrance. Kagome dug in the pockets of her skirt for the paper talisman Miroku had given her, worry creasing her brow. Hands flexing, she pursed her lips and decided to search her other pocket too. She pressed her lips together before muttering a quiet "crap."

"What is it?" She was not surprised to see Inuyasha come up beside her.

"I'm out," she turned to him, "I have no more ofudas."

Inuyasha frowned, "then make the barrier with out one."

She tossed him a skeptical look. Her stomach churned, the smell of the living-dead made her sick. She wanted to retch.

Swallowing thickly, she closed her eyes, placing a hand on the damp cave wall and prayed. The familiar heat in the center of her chest began, with a small smile she continued, she could do this.

She tried to block out the stench, concentrating on protecting the village, her friends, her family, but a cold breeze swept in, ravishing up her legs and through her body. In an instant, her temperature dropped, her skin suddenly feeling cold and clammy. She needed to get out of this cave and get some fresh air.

Another rush of nausea hit her and her body wavered. She took a step back to steady herself. This was just not working. Arm growing heavy, she started to lower it when Inuyasha stopped her. Startled out of her thoughts, she felt his own lift hers, his strong hand cupping her elbow firmly. His chest radiated a comforting warmth near her back.

She blinked into the darkness, ignoring the noisy dead that were only getting uncomfortably close. How had they moved so fast? The ones crawling were still a good distance away, but the rest had gained track, and she felt an urgency she hand't before.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, moving her hand from the cave wall to face the rotting Samurai, "I've seen what you can do," he pressed, "I've been with you from the very beginning."

Something about those words hit her deep, bringing a rush of color to her face he couldn't see.

He pushed her arm straight ahead, wishing his eyes could scald the creatures before them. "Burn them to the ground, Kagome."

She didn't know how he did it, but Inuyasha's words evoked a fire in her that wasn't there before. Eyes open and blazing into the darkness, she felt a surge of energy rush through her. Her mind was consumed by the man behind her, pushing her forward and giving her the strength to fight, so instead of erecting a barrier, her fingers sparked, and with a joyful smirk, she watched as a pink blinding light shot out of her hand, incinerating the Samurai at once.

It was quick. Kagome closed her eyes and leaned back on Inuyasha. The awful stench was gone. Her arms felt warm and tingly and like a ton of bricks. She could hear the armor falling and scraping against each other, then silence. It was defining and calm as the rain continued to pour behind them.

Carefully, Inuyasha gathered her in his arms, adjusted his haori still on her shoulders, and held her close to shield her from the rain. By the time they arrived at the village, Kagome was out cold. He went to Kaede's first, thankful that the old woman had set a spot for Kagome. He laid her gently on the plush futon and removed his haori from her body.

The dying embers from the indoor flame popped beside him, casting a soft orange glow in the darkness as he pulled a thin sheet over her. He eyed the smoke rising from it warily, not really trusting it after the crazy week they'd been having, but he still needed to speak to Sango. So with much hesitation, he brushed her hair aside gently, and left.

Soaked to the bone, Inuyasha felt like a guilty dog. Maybe he shouldn't have gone gallivanting around with Kagome. Teasing her in the rain when his friends had been so eagerly awaiting their return. All that did was find them more trouble. 'But I wanted to get her out of the rain.' His own reasoning sounding meek and selfish even to him.

He got to their hut, the young couple running out as soon as they heard him arrive. Sango took the message with a stoney face, a grim Miroku smoothed the strain in her back before she closed her umbrella with a snap. She lowered her arm and let the rain hit her. A familiar numbness festered inside her. Even the rain couldn't wash it away.

Inuyasha turned concerned eyes towards her. With matted hair and dull eyes, she made a quick turn, escaping to where her slumbering children lay.

The door flapped against its frame loudly through the rain. The light inside glowed through the layered straw and windows. Inuyasha was brought out of his revere when Miroku place a firm hand on his shoulder, the one where the wind tunnel used to be.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

He grunted, "make sure she's alright, Bouzu."

"You know I will," Miroku said, trying to smile, but it never really reached his eyes. He squeezed Inuyasha's shoulder, "please, send Kagome our gratitude," and followed his wife inside.

Feeling pretty damn shitty, Inuyasha walked back to Kaede's, the rain drenching him even further. He was so caught up with his thoughts, he failed to notice how much brighter the hut glowed from inside. Pulling back the mat, he was surprised to see Kagome leaning on an arm, sitting up beside the fire and poking at it till it roared to life again.

A quick moment went by as he observed her glowing warmly by the flames. Finally, she noticed him, dark orbs turning his way. "Inuyasha," she said, "you're soaked!" Getting up with a slight wince, she ran to his side and pulled the robes from his shoulders. She snuck a glance at his frowning face, surprised that he wasn't resisting and even more so that he wasn't barking. Not a peep escaped his lips as she dragged the red and cream fabrics down his arms and untucked them from his belt.

With a slight blush, Kagome hung his clothes on a rack and moved them near the fire. His eyes lingered on the flames with a frown creasing his handsome features.

She stepped up to him quietly. His gaze was intense, and she reached out her delicate fingers to soften his mood. "Sit with me," she persuaded softly, "the fire will feel good on you."

He let her lead him, following the dark haired beauty that had somehow fallen into his life, and plopped down onto her futon.

Kagome didn't poke nor prod. She let the ambience of the sizzling fire and the drizzle of the rain comfort him. Nature always had a way of soothing your soul, and she was sure it would help the wild man she so desperately loved.

"How's your back?" His voice was low and grumpy and it startled her slightly. She turned to him, but his eyes remained on the fire.

Scrunching her nose, she rolled her shoulders and tried to ignore the sting of her shirt rubbing her wound. She caught him peek at her and sent him a shy smile, "it's a little sore," she admitted.

Eyes glowing in the fire light, he turned towards her, "let me see."

"I'm fine," she laughed lightly, batting her hand as he started reaching for her, "really."

He was unconvinced. There was no way she had been grimacing for no reason, so he put his hand to her shoulder and pushed, effectively turning her body to face away from him.

"He~ey," she whined, displeased at his rough treatment. She slapped her hand to the floor, stopping herself from toppling over. The warmth from his hand left her shoulder and slid down across her back, the movement quick and precise. Wide eyed, she eeped when he suddenly yanked the shirt, cold air rushing up her skin.

Inuyasha hissed, wincing at the sight of the angry scrape before him. "Damn it, Kagome." He got up quickly, "why didn't you tell me?" He started pacing around the hut. "Where's the gauze, the ointments?" Using his nose, he stomped to a small wooden basin of water and placed it next to her, the liquid sloshed over the edges in his haste.

With a guilty look, Kagome pointed to the rest of the supplies, hoping he'd settle down quickly before his ruckus woke Kaede. That - and she couldn't handle the sight of him worrying for her with half his clothes off. His wet skin shone in the fire light, his thick mane swirling moonlight behind him.

Settling behind her, he lifted the shirt again and began cleaning. She jumped at the feel of the rough towelette pressing against her wounds.

He quickly pulled his hand away at her reaction.

"It's okay," she said with an encouraging tone, "it's not so bad."

He paused a moment, hand still in the air as he eyed the back of her head.

Slowly, he lowered his hand to her back, his fingers hovering above her. The realization daunted him - he'd been the reason for this. He'd drug her across the floor like some animal. Where instead, he could have barreled against the samurai and carried her to safety... but, here they were.

Clenching his jaw at himself, he pressed the rag back in the water, wrung it, and gently applied it to her skin. She stiffened with each application, trying in vain to hide the pain from him. After he got as much of the dirt off her as he could, he placed the soiled cloth in the basin. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Tense arms relaxed, and she let out a relieved breath. "S'okay," she said softly, blinking at the fire light. She heard him unwind some gauze and cloths left over from her time. "Make sure to put some ointment first," she reminded.

Inuyasha grunted, slightly scandaled that she thought he'd forget. The cream was already on his hands, so he reached out to apply it, carefully avoiding contact with his claws.

"How's Sango?"

Pausing momentarily, he furrowed his brow as he thought back on the slayer's actions, "pissed," he admitted, and continued to drag his fingers down her slender back.

"Oh." He wasn't sure if that was a reaction to what he'd said, or what he'd done. He swallowed thickly, trying not to peek at her dips and curves but failing miserably. His eyes lingered on their own before he forced them back with much effort. He worked his hands around the dark band that wrapped around her torso, a delicate and intricate material he'd never seen made in this time... lace.

Mouth going dry, he let the shirt fall and washed his hands clean, then worked on spreading the bandages on his crossed legs before applying them on her. "She still has that um-bra-la you gave her."

She laughed, the sound relaxing his nerves enough to continue working on her in the orange glow of the room.

"I'm glad," she said, a smile gracing her lips as she remembered her friend sharing it with with Miroku, Sango had worn the cutest expression. She heard Inuyasha rip some old medical tape behind her, and a yawn escaped her as he finished up. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head on a shoulder.

Inuyasha kept glancing at her as he worked, making sure that she was okay. A short time later, he applied the last wrap and made sure everything was sturdy before whispering her name. "Kagome?"

She hummed. Her neck was achey, but the fire felt so nice. In an almost dream like state, she felt him rouse her from sleep. He said her name again as he reached for her face. Her vision was a bit blurry, but his hand looked different. Rolling her neck, she blinked away the sleep and went for the hand now leaving her chin.

"You passed out," he smirked. Mistaking her hold on his hand for an intimate gesture. The only response he got a was hiss from her lips. Frowning, he tried to pull his hand away. "Wha-"

"Inuyasha," she whispered. Her fingers hovering over his red palm. "This burn..."

"It's nothin'," he tugged, but her grip was firm. He closed his fist to hide it from view.

She turned worried eyes to him, guilt clear on her face. "Did, did I do this?"

"Don't be stupid," he said roughly, "it'll be gone by morning." He tugged again, "just get some sleep already."

Shaking her head, she lowered her eyes and covered his fist with both hands. The memory of his claws pricking the skin of her ankle returned, it had spasmed when she'd purified the creatures to ash.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha," she looked back down and touched his hand tenderly, "It's like you stuck your hand over an open flame."

"Kagome," he said seriously, twisting his hand and grabbing hers instead. He pulled her towards him none too gently. "Did you expect me to just leave you there?"

Face going red, she shook her head, appreciating the sinful view of his tanned skin as she refused to look at his eyes. Inuyasha had grown from a tall spindly teenager to a thick shoulder-broadened man. Tiny little swirls of silver curled about his body. She swallowed thickly, eyeing the swell and curve of his muscles before forcing her eyes away.

"I'd do it again," he swore, his voice pulling her attention. The popping firelight danced across him, highlighting his eyes, accenting his hair, and casting long shadows that swayed hypnotically behind him.

"Inuyasha," she whispered carefully, eyes sparkling.

He gave her a quick smirk before pulling her towards him, her cheeks pressing against his soft curls as his arms wrapped around her. "Get some sleep."

"But-"

He sighed, resting his head on hers, "will you just listen to me for once?"

Silver hair dancing in orange hues fell before her. With a groggy smile, Kagome gave in and wrapped her arms around him too. His warmth lulling her to sleep.

(A/N)

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